Riftwalkers
by GreatDario
Summary: After separating from the rest of the party, Aerith Gainsborough began heading to the City of the Ancients to stop the villainous Sephiroth on her own. But, her journey took an unexpected turn in the Sleeping Woods and she ended up in a faraway place...


"_**...I'll show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."**_

**RIFTWALKERS**

**Chapter I : Through the Forest**

There are times when one must take a stand for the greater good of others, even at the darkest hour.

Such was the case of Aerith Gainsborough, a young woman who was the last of a sentient race known as the "Cetra". Cetras have a unique ability of communicating with their planet, Gaia. Sephiroth, a mad soldier who believed he was a Cetra, acquired the Black Materia, a spherical magical instrument that could be used to summon a catastrophic meteor onto the planet. Being the only Cetra alive, Aerith left her party, headed by ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife, to stop Sephiroth once and for all.

The brunette was walking through the mysterious Sleeping Woods that led to her destination, the City of the Ancients. As the chilly wind blew, Aerith shivered in her red jacket. _Maybe I should've brought warmer clothes before I left the others_, the Cetra thought as she brushed off the leaves that fell on her pink dress.

Using her staff as a support stick, Aerith trudged through the dense forest while occasionally kicking small rocks out of her path. _The legendary staff, the Princess Guard, being used as a walking stick by a common flower girl_, the brunette mused with a wry smile. _How silly._

As she continued to walk, the Cetra had a strong feeling that Sephiroth was also heading to the City of the Ancients. She doubted that Cloud and his friends were close behind. And if Sephiroth caught up with Aerith...

_...I'm not going to die_, Aerith said to herself as she shook her head. _That madman won't kill me that easily. I made a promise with Cloud that I'll meet him again when it's all over._ And with that, the Cetra continued to walk.

Hours passed and exhaustion began to take over the brunette. She spotted a small patch of grass next to a large tree where she can sit and take a rest before continuing on. Aerith slowly sat and stretched her legs. She placed her Princess Guard right next to her and looked at the scenery around her. The whole forest was eerily quiet and still. No enemies. No friends. Just her.

As Aerith observed her surroundings, she began to feel drowsy. The Cetra tried to keep herself awake, telling herself to not fall asleep. Eventually, however, she decided to sleep just for a while. The brunette shut her green eyes and had a dreamless sleep.

What should have been an hour-long nap prolonged to a six-hour slumber. When Aerith opened her eyes, she was frightened to see that the whole woods became very dark. Cursing at herself for sleeping so long, she quickly stood on her feet and grabbed her staff. After eating some bread she had in her pouch, the Cetra resumed her journey to the City of the Ancients.

An hour later, the whole woods became too dark to navigate through. _Odd_, Aerith thought as she looked around. _I thought these woods become dimly lit at night._ After scratching her head, she concluded, _Maybe I was wrong_.

Deciding that it was too dangerous to walk in the dark, she channeled an illumination spell on her staff, making it shine like a lantern. The spell was effective; the Cetra was able to see her surroundings. _There_, she said as she smiled brightly._ That should do it_.

Aerith continued to trek through the dark woods. After walking for minutes, the Cetra accidentally tripped over a root of a tree. "Oompf!" she let out as she fell face-first onto the ground. The brunette sat up, rubbing her nose in pain. _That was embarrassing_, she said to herself as she grabbed her shining staff and stood up. Aerith observed the root of the tree she tripped over. _Whoa_, she mused in fascination as she looked at the towering trees around her. _The trees here are so tall!_ _They must be at least twenty stories high!_

After walking for several minutes, the light that emitted from her staff began to grow dim. _What __the?_ Aerith thought as she noticed her dimming staff. She tried channeling more magic into it, but she noticed that it became increasingly difficult to do so. _I can't__ use my magic! _she realized in shock. The Cetra tried her best to channel more magic into the Princess Guard, but the light slowly died away.

_I can't stop here!_ Aerith said to herself as she resumed her journey through the dark. When she walked deeper into the woods, the brunette was no longer able to see the stars of the sky. The towering trees blocked off the sky with their giant branches. The Cetra was not able to bring light to her staff, so she had to resort to using a flashlight.

Much to her frustration, the flashlight died several minutes later.

..._You've got to be kidding me_, Aerith said to herself as her grip on the flashlight tightened in frustration. She tried shaking the device in hopes of restoring it, but the flashlight remained dead.

"Useless junk!" the Cetra angrily shouted as she threw the flashlight on the ground as hard as she could. Aerith looked around and saw that the forest was still pitch black. _...Now I'm lost_, she thought in defeat as she let out a sigh.

The brunette decided to continue her journey through the dark. The thick forest was still dark as ever. The trees seemed to grow taller as she walked on. The only noise in the forest was coming from the soft footsteps of the Cetra.

However, as she continued on, she began to feel slightly lightheaded. Aerith disregarded this and trudged on. As time passed, the feeling intensified. Soon, the Cetra began to hear voices of children and adults whispering to her all at once.

Frightened out her wits, Aerith began to run, but her whole body felt heavy. She felt like she was about to collapse. As the voices grew louder, the Cetra began to twitch involuntarily. She realized in horror that _something_ in the woods was trying to kill her.

Using all of the remaining energy she had, Aerith ran for her life, holding the Princess Guard tightly in her hands. The voices were now shrieking at the woman. She did not know where she was going, but she continued to run through the dark.

Then she tripped.

The next moment, she was in a rushing current of water. Aerith thrashed her arms to swim up for air. When she did, the Cetra saw that she was in a river. The brunette did everything she could to not sink and drown. Eventually, however, exhaustion took over her and she fainted.

…

…

…

..._I can't die, yet. I don't want to die._

…

Aerith opened her eyes. She was still in the woods. Giant trees were still everywhere. Surprisingly, though, she was able to see the sky. It was a dark and starry night.

"Heh heh," the Cetra chuckled as she stared at the sky. "I actually made it out alive."

The brunette sat up as she observed her surroundings. She was sitting on a grassy ground next to a large pond. On the other side of the pond was an enormously large tree.

_I don't think I'm anywhere close to the City of the Ancients_, the Cetra grimly thought. She stood up and began to tour around the forest. The brunette then realized something.

"Uh oh," Aerith murmured as her eyes widened. "I think I lost my staff."

As she cursed at herself, she searched for her Princess Guard. Unfortunately, she was not able to find it. When she tried using her magic to look for the staff, she found it incredibly difficult to use any magic at all.

_What could this possibly mean?_ Aerith wondered. _The planet is incredibly quiet, too. I can't seem to communicate with it here._ After searching for the staff to no avail, the Cetra decided to give up and find a way out of the forest.

Aerith was able to spot a creek that led to cave. _I guess I don't have many options_, she thought as she jumped into the creek and walked into the cave. After trekking through the cave for a minute, she was finally out of the dreaded forest. The Cetra was about to scream in joy until she saw that the whole scenery was just consisted of...

_...The sea?!_ Aerith nearly screamed out loud. She splashed through the water to a rocky fence that made the water flow downward right next to the rocky wall of the forest. The Cetra looked around in fright and saw only water.

_I'm near the ocean?! _Aerith thought in terror as her jaws dropped. _Just how far did I go?!_

At that moment, a voice of a man shouted from a distance, "...And why did we even stop here?! Forest Haven, of all places?!"

Aerith noticed the voice. _Someone's here!_ she thought as she decided to follow it. When she continued down the stream, she saw that it led to a small waterfall.

_If I jump down this_ _waterfall_, the Cetra thought deeply, _I won't be going back to that forest for a while_. She turned to the cave, then at the waterfall.

_I probably won't find much back there_, Aerith finally decided. She looked down the waterfall and thought, _Here I go_. With that, she jumped and splashed into the creek below. The brunette stayed afloat and, much to her surprise, fell down another waterfall.

_Oh, come on! _she grumbled as she swam to the nearest ground. _There were _two_ waterfalls?_

The owner of the voice was now in sight. The source of the voice was a man who was with two other people in front of a large wooden ship. Aerith quietly climbed to the ground and looked around for a place to hide. She spotted a red post box and quickly darted there.

"Why are you so scared o' this island?" the second man grumbled as he shook his head. "We only stopped here to inspect our ship."

_Wait, I'm on an _island_? _Aerith wondered as she rubbed her chin. _How did I end up on an island? I was traveling on main land._

"This is the _last_ place we should stop by to inspect our ship!" shouted the first man as he pointed at the second man. "It's _Forest Haven_, for Din's sake!"

"Oh, it can't be that bad," the third man said in a relaxed tone.

"No one's here, as well," the second man continued. "It's one of the only places where we robbers can inspect our ship without getting caught."

_So, those guys are thieves_, the Cetra told herself as she continued to eavesdrop.

"You guys haven't heard the rumors 'bout this place, huh?" the first man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What rumors?" the second asked.

"Rumors 'bout Forest Haven," the first man explained. "They say that an evil spirit dwells in this island."

"Oh, come on," the third murmured as he shook his head in disbelief.

"This spirit will play mind tricks on anyone who dares to enter its forest," the man continued. "It will torture and turn people into trees."

"...And let me guess," the third man interrupted with an unamused expression. "All the trees in this island are the tortured souls."

"Yeah!" the first man exclaimed. "That's what I was trying to-"

"It's a dumb rumor," the third man murmured as he shook his head. "Just a fairy tale."

"Hmm..." the second man thought out loud. "You know, we should just hurry up, just to be safe."

"...You've got to be joking," the third man said.

"I'm glad you believe me," the first man said triumphantly.

Aerith, who was still hiding behind the mailbox, thought that the rumor actually might be plausible. She _was_ nearly killed by a mysterious entity in the forest.

_Wait a minute_, the Cetra thought to herself as something hit her. _If this island is cursed, then __what's this mailbox doing here?_

"You guys are unbelievable," the third man grumbled. "Absolutely unbelievable."

Then, a voice from the ship behind the three men announced, "The ship's ready to go!"

"Then let's get outta here!" the first man said as he walked up the plank that led to the ship. The other two quickly followed.

Aerith simply stared at the ship and thought, _This is my best chance to get out of this island_. She looked back at the waterfall she fell from, then at the ship. _Should I stay or sneak in?_

"Next stop, Windfall Island!" someone in the ship shouted.

_I'm probably going to regret this, but whatever_, the Cetra said to herself as she ran up the plank.

When she ran onto the ship, Aerith was surprisingly not caught. Everyone else was too busy with their jobs. The Cetra quickly looked around for a place to hide. She spotted an open barrel near the door to the captain's cabin. Without giving a second thought, she jumped into it. The barrel was empty, much to the brunette's fortune. All she was able to do was hope that she was not caught.

"The goddesses are with us today!" one of the men shouted. "The winds are in our favor. We should arrive in about seven hours!"

_Seven hours?!_ the Cetra thought in horror. _I have to stay in this barrel for _seven hours_?!_

Aerith was only able to groan. Only then did she realize that she did not eat anything for a while now. _...I'm hungry_.

* * *

_...Wow. I actually fell asleep in this thing_.

Aerith woke up, still curled up in the barrel she was hiding in. Judging by the cramps she was getting all over her body, she had been hiding for hours.

_It's awfully quiet outside_, the Cetra noticed. _Maybe the coast is clear_.

The brunette slowly rose from the barrel. It was still dawn, but it looked as if the sun would rise soon. After sticking her head out of her hiding spot, she turned her head in all directions and checked if anyone was around. The Cetra saw that no one was on the main bridge of the ship.

Slowly and cautiously, Aerith stood up and stepped out of the barrel. Very quietly, she moved to the main bridge on the tip of her toes. When it was clear that no one was around, she went to the railings to get a clear view of where she was.

The Cetra saw that the ship actually landed on a small island. When she turned to the right side of the island, she that most of the island seemed to be filled with three to four story-high red and white brick buildings. The tallest building was a windmill that situated in the middle of all of these buildings. The brunette saw that there was not much in the left side of the island. There were only a small meadow and a lone gray brick building.

Aerith walked off the ship and stretched her body. _Phew_, she thought in relief as she stretched her arms. _I'm finally out of that stinky ship_. The Cetra exited the port and stood in front of a large archway that seemed to act as an entrance to the town.

_Well, I came all the way here_, the flower girl thought as she looked at the gray archway. _No point stopping now_. With that, she entered the town of Windfall Island.

The town was not too big. It seemed slightly bigger than Kalm, a very small town Aerith was familiar of. There were few lights shining in some buildings, but most of them were off. It was also very quiet; nearly no people were outside.

As Aerith walked through the dark town, her stomach growled. _I need food_, the girl grumbled as she clutched her stomach. The road she was taking slightly spiraled upward, making her even more tired.

Minutes later, the Cetra saw a peculiar large building. The first floor was set up to be an open marketplace, but it was currently unoccupied. There was also a wooden stairway that led to the doorway on the second floor. Aerith walked to the signpost at the start of the stairway. It read, "Café Bar".

_Hey! They might have food_, the flower girl said to herself with excitement. Then, she realized one important thing. _Darn it, I have no money_, she thought in defeat as she searched her pocket and pouch.

_I can't just walk in there and ask for free food_, Aerith mused as she hopelessly looked at the door up the stairs. _Ah, phooey_, she dejectedly murmured as she kicked a small pebble on the ground. Then, the Cetra looked up at the door once more. _...Actually_, she thought again, _it might be worth a shot_. With that, the brunette walked up the stairs and opened the door to Café Bar.

When Aerith entered the place, she climbed several more sets of stairs. As she reached to the top, she saw that the whole place was bustling with many sorts of people. There was a group of sailors chatting merrily on one table. On the table next to window sat a happy couple drinking and talking their souls away. At the farthest and the darkest corner of the room sat a large man in a dirty sailor suit and a slender man in a dark coat around the table. Both were holding cards in their hands, so the Cetra assumed that they were playing cards. The only free table was the table right next to the card players.

_Alright_, the flower girl thought as she rubbed her hands together._ Time to ask for free food_. She walked up to the counter and stood in front of the tall lady with fair skin and black hair.

The counter lady was the first to talk. "Hello, ma'am," she began. "How may I help you?"

After taking a deep breath, Aerith asked, "May I have free food?"

There was an awkward silence between the two women save the noisy chatter from the crowd.

The tall lady only let out, "...Eh?"

"You know," the Cetra began, trying to be convincing as much as possible, "free food, as in, no charge? No money-"

"Look, girl," the counter lady interrupted, slightly irked, "does this place look like a charity zone to you?"

"...Err..." Aerith stuttered as she scratched her head. "...I..."

"Well, it's not," the tall lady said matter-of-factly. "We are busy people. We don't have time to give food to beggars."

_...Oh, come on!_ Aerith thought in defeat. _I nearly lost my life out there and I'm getting treated like this?!_ The brunette put on a pleading expression and asked, "...Please?"

"No," the counter lady stubbornly replied. "The only free thing you'll get here is a glass of water."

_...I guess I'll just have a glass of water for now_, the Cetra grumbled to herself. "Alright," she said, keeping a straight face. "I'll just have a glass of water."

"Just a moment," the tall lady said as she went to the kitchen behind her. She soon emerged with a large glass of water. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Aerith politely replied as she received the glass. Holding it in her hand, she sat in the free table by the wall, right next to the table the card players were at.

The brunette gulped down the water. The feeling of quenching her thirst was refreshing at the most. Putting down her cup of water, she observed the people in the room.

People were still minding their own businesses. Several people were still chatting and drinking, some arguing over who will be the one paying for the food and drinks, and some quietly talking about random topics.

After watching the people for several seconds, Aerith noticed something peculiar. _Strange_, she thought as she drank from her glass, _some of these people have pointy ears_.

Just as the brunette thought, some folks in the bar had long, pointy ears. Nobody, however, seemed to be giving much thought to this fact.

Aerith then turned to the card players. The two card players were the quietest in the room. The Cetra took a closer look at the two men. By the wall sat the slender man in a dark green coat and a gray collar shirt underneath. The front brim of a dark green cowboy hat he was wearing was tilted downwards, covering the eyes of the man. The brunette was able to see that the slender man had fair skin and blonde hair. The large, burly man across the slender man was wearing a tight-fitting white-and-blue striped sailor suit and white pants. He was wearing a white sailor cap that covered his short hair. His well-built arms showed that he was a man of strength. His facial expression also hinted that he had a short temper.

The Cetra continued drinking her glass of water. _Well_, she thought as she looked at the empty glass in her hand, _at least I'm not thirsty anymore_.

The brunette heard a gruff voice say, "I'm bettin' this much." She assumed that the voice belonged to the big sailor.

The Cetra heard a lighter voice say, "I'm foldin' this one." She assumed that this one belonged to the slender man.

"Hee hee," the sailor laughed mischievously as he took his prize for the round. "You're not as good as they say, Mikau."

"Game's not over, yet," Mikau said smoothly as he shuffled the deck of cards.

"At this rate, it probably is, boy," the burly man interjected triumphantly. "I recommend quittin'."

_Looks like they're having fun_, Aerith mused as she turned to watch the game. _I don't think they would mind if spectate the game_.

The slender man finished shuffling the deck and handing out the cards. Three cards were placed between the men, face-up. For several turns, the two men placed more bets and called each other's actions. When the final community card was placed on the table, the slender man said, "The action is on you."

After a dramatic pause, the sailor smiled triumphantly and said, "All in." With that, he pushed his tall stack of chips to the middle of the table.

_All in?_ Aerith thought with amusement. _Looks like the slender guy is in a heap of trouble._

"Really?" the slender man asked with a cool voice. The flower girl was able to tell that he was raising his eyebrows.

"Stop wastin' my time, boy," the sailor said with an annoyed voice. "Action's on you."

"Is that so?" Mikau asked with a frown. "Alright, call."

The burly man had a slightly troubled expression. However, it changed back to a triumphant smile and said, "Time to reveal our hands." With that, the sailor showed his cards to the slender man.

_A queen and jack in his hand_, Aerith thought to herself. _It matches up with the queen and a jack on the table._ _Two strong pairs_, she said to herself with a nod.

"...My turn," Mikau said as he revealed his hand. In his hand, the slender man had...

_...An ace and a four_, the Cetra noted as she turned to the community cards. Much to her shock, there were also three aces among the community cards._ Hang on_, she thought in surprise as she looked at the smiling slender man. _That means..._

"Four of a kind," Mikau announced as he smiled. "Since you only have two pairs, that means I win."

The sailor only stared at the cards in horror. "...What?..." he murmured in terror as his eyes widened. "...My...my...my money!..."

"I don't know why you decided to go all in," Mikau stated as he began to collect the chips and put them in his black suitcase. "This game could've gone much longer if you didn't."

_...Wow... _Aerith thought with her mouth open. She then turned to the sailor and thought, _I wonder how much he lost in this game?_

"ARRGGH!" the burly man shouted at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of everyone in the bar. At that moment, he twisted around and saw Aerith staring at him. He then shrieked at the brunette, "What are you lookin' at, dirt face?!"

"...Huh?!" the Cetra stuttered as she nearly fell backwards from her chair. "...Wh-... I... I was... j-just-"

"You think this is funny?!" the sailor continued to rant as he stomped towards the scared girl. "You-"

"Enough with that," Mikau said to the sailor as he closed his suitcase. "What did she do to deserve your shoutin'?"

The burly man stomped back to the slender man and grumbled, "I lost my money to you!"

"You can always come back for a rematch," Mikau said as he spread his arms. "Just remember to bring enough money when you do."

Everyone in the bar chuckled at this comment.

"Shut up!" the sailor shouted. Eventually, the burly man angrily stormed out of the bar.

When the angry man was out, everyone in the bar continued with their own businesses.

Aerith remained surprised by all that just happened. She simply turned to the slender man, who was counting a large rack of...

_Gemstones?! _the Cetra nearly shrieked as her eyes widened. _They betted gemstones?!_

"What are you standin' there for?" Mikau turned to the girl and asked. "Still in shell shock?"

The brunette tried to say something back, but all that came out of her mouth was, "...Err..."

"Well, sit down," the slender man said calmly.

Aerith quickly obeyed at sat on the chair across the man in the hat. After taking a deep breath, the girl commented, "You guys have been betting gems, huh?"

Mikau frowned at this comment. "Gems?" he asked as he counted the colorful stones. "These aren't gems, girl. They are common rupees, if you can't tell."

"Rupees?" the Cetra repeated in confusion. "What are those?"

After hearing this comment, the blonde gambler seemed incredibly surprised by this comment. "You don't know what our currency is?" he asked with disbelief.

_They use gemstones as money?_ Aerith thought in disbelief. She only stuttered, "...Um...I..."

Mikau only shook his head with a smile and said, "Since you can't even tell the difference between money and gemstone, I doubt you are a beggar as the counter lady said."

"Hey!" the Cetra exclaimed with annoyance. "I'm not a-" Then something hit her. "...Wait," she said as she regained her composure, "how did you hear that comment in this noisy place? The counter is pretty far from here."

"If you hadn't realized by now," the gambler began as he turned his head to reveal his pointy ear to the Cetra, "I'm a Hylian. I hear things a little better than you humans."

"Oh, you have pointy ears, too!" Aerith stated as she observed Mikau's ears. "So, you pointy-eared people are called Hylians."

"...Yes..." the blonde murmured, surprised by the fact that she did not know what a Hylian was.

"I have never seen pointed ears in my life," the flower girl continued. "You guys must be extremely rare!"

…

…

There was an awkward silence between them.

Mikau broke the silence and asked politely, "Do you live under a rock?"

"...Sorry?" Aerith asked, taken aback by such a question.

"It's a phrase," the blonde explain. "It's used to describe-"

"I know what the phrase means," the Cetra interrupted, feeling insulted by such a question.

"Well, then," the gambler continued as he leaned closer to the brunette, "where do you come from?"

"Midgar," Aerith answered with a huff. "Well, the slums of Midgar. You see, I'm not part of the upper-class-"

"Midgar?" Mikau repeated for verification.

"Yeah, Midgar," the Cetra said with a nod. She smiled, waiting for a response.

…

…

…

"...Never heard of such a place in my life," Mikau finally said after a long pause. He leaned back on to his chair.

Aerith was stunned. "...What?" she responded with shock. "How can you not know Midgar? It's the biggest and the busiest city in the whole planet!"

Mikau only shrugged. "The biggest and the busiest place in this region is this island, Windfall Island," he explained. "I don't know what this whole 'Midgar' city is all about, and I doubt anyone in the Great Sea ever heard about place."

"Ugh," the Cetra groaned as she clutched her head. "If I only had a map, I could show you where it is."

"Map?" the gambler asked as he began to dig through the pocket within his coat. Several moments later, he took out a large folded piece of paper. The blonde unfolded the paper and placed his map on the table. "Here is the map. Alright, tell me where this 'Midgar' is, girl."

"Okay," Aerith said as she rubbed her hands. When she set her eyes on the map, however, she was dreadfully confused. The map only showed many small islands spread out across the map. "What's this?" she finally asked. "There is no mainland."

Mikau only raised his hands in defeat. "That's the map of the Great Sea. There's no mainland in this region. Only islands and the sea."

The Cetra face-palmed in frustration. "Where in Gaia am I?" she murmured.

"What's your name, girl?" the gambler asked with a cool voice.

"...Aerith," the brunette quietly answered as she looked at the blonde. "Aerith Gainsborough."

"Well, Miss Gainsborough," Mikau began calmly, "I assure you that there is no Midgar in this region."

Aerith only shook her head. "Do you what's beyond the borders of this regions?" she asked with a hope that this man would say no.

"Yes I do," the gambler answered. "In fact, there is a mainland on the other side of this planet."

"Midgar might be there," the Cetra said with hope. "You see, the place I'm from is-"

"Nope," the blonde interrupted as he shook his head. "There is no Midgar there. There is only a very large kingdom of New Hyrule. That's all there is in this world: the Great Sea and New Hyrule. It's a small world."

"...I see..." the flower girl murmured in defeat.

…

…

…

_Wait_, Aerith suddenly thought. _Wait, wait, wait. Did he just say that this region and this 'New Hyrule' is all there is in this world?_ The brunette looked at the gambler and asked, "What do you mean that's all there is in this world?"

"Exactly what it says on the tin," Mikau explained. "This planet is very small. There's only New Hyrule and the Great Sea, which is the region we are in right now."

_No_, the flower girl thought in fright. _No no no no no._ "I came on a ship," she explained as she tried to keep her composure. "I came from an island with a forest."

"There are many islands with forests," the gambler said with a shake of his head. "You gotta be more descriptive than that."

"There was a rumor saying that it was cursed," Aerith explained. "They say that it turns people into trees."

After tapping his chin, Mikau snapped his fingers and said, "Oh, that island. It's called Forest Haven." He then pointed at the island at the top-left side of the map. "This is Windfall Island, the place we are at."

Aerith nodded and payed close attention.

The blonde gambler then pointed at a small circular island at the top-right side of the map. "This is Forest Haven," he explained. "Are you saying that you came from here?"

As the Cetra inspected the island on the map, she realized that it was too small. "Why is it so small?" she asked, confused.

Mikau shrugged once more. "Because it is small," he said. "It's only about 200 steps wide."

"Y-you've got to be kidding me," Aerith stuttered. "I ran for hours here! I-"

_...Wait a minute_, the Cetra thought as a strange idea crept over her head. _What if... What if I'm in..._

"Umm," the gambler looked at the frozen brunette with concern. "Are you okay?"

Aerith remained motionless on her seat. After a long awkward pause, she cracked a small smile. "Heh," she finally let out.

The blonde only looked at the woman in front of him.

"Heh heh," the Cetra let out once more. Finally, she broke into a laughter, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Slightly scared by the sudden laughter of the brunette, Mikau inquired again, "Are you okay?"

Aerith continued to laugh hysterically. A minute later, her laughter died down, and it was replaced with a somber, "Ohhh." With that, she laid her head down on the table.

"...You are definitely not okay," the gambler decided with a nod.

_...I'm in a different world_, the Cetra answered her own question in utter defeat. _I somehow ended up in a different dimension, or world, or whatever you call it_. When her stomach suddenly growled, she stated without lifting her head, "I'm hungry."

"Hmm," Mikau mused as he scratched his chin, "I could tell." He then stood up and walked up to the counter lady. He placed his orders and came back to his seat. "I ordered some bread, by the way."

Aerith looked up hopelessly and said, "Thanks." She then sat up.

Thinking that the whole issue was resolved, Mikau folded up his map and placed it in his coat pocket. He then proceeded to spill the rupees he won into his rupee wallet.

The Cetra noticed that the large pile of rupees actually fitted in the small wallet. "...How did you fit in all those 'rupees' into that small pouch?" she asked quietly, looking rather dejected as ever.

"That's how rupee wallets work," the gambler explained as he closed his rupee wallet. "They detect the rupees by magic and they fit them all in to a cap."

Silently nodding, she stared absentmindedly at the empty table. She then looked up at the mysterious man and asked, "...Why do I look like a beggar?"

Taken aback by the sudden random question, Mikau answered, "Because you look like one. You are a complete mess right now. Your face is smudged with dirt. Your clothes are dirty. There is even a leaf stuck on one of your bangs."

After hearing the last comment, Aerith ruffled her bangs. Soon afterward, a single leaf fell from her head. "Well, it's not in my head anymore," she commented as the leaf floated to the ground.

The blonde gambler only chuckled at the scene.

Moments later, the counter lady came with a dish of four toasts and two small jars of strawberry jam. "Here's the food you ordered, sweetie," she said to Mikau with the nicest smile she could muster up.

"Thanks, ma'am," he replied with a smile.

As the counter lady went off, Mikau said to the Cetra, "I ordered four toasts, if you don't mind. Two is for you, and the other two is for me."

Aerith nodded as she began to spread the strawberry jam on her toast using the bread knife.

Mikau took his own bread knife and started to slowly spread the jam on his toast. After finishing his work, he took a bite off the toast. When he turned to the brunette, however, he noticed that she already finished her first toast.

"...You've been pretty hungry, hmm?" the gambler asked with a smile.

"Mhm," the Cetra replied with her mouth full. She already began spreading jam on her second toast.

When Mikau finished eating half of his toast, Aerith already finished her second. The brunette looked at the gambler's untouched second toast with slight disappointment.

Noticing the woman's glance, the blonde asked, "Do you want this toast?"

"Yup," the Cetra replied quickly with a nod.

Mikau grabbed his second toast and placed it on the lady's dish. "You can have it."

"Thanks a bunch," Aerith said happily as she began to spread the jam on her third toast.

"So," Mikau began as he took a bite from his toast, "what's your occupation?"

After eating one-third of her toast, the Cetra replied, "I'm a flower girl. What's yours?"

The gambler only stared absentmindedly at his toast, seemingly lost in thought.

Aerith noticed the blonde's blank expression, so she asked, "Hello? Are you there?"

Finally snapping back to reality, Mikau replied quickly, "Sorry, I was just lost in thought." He took another bite from his toast and continued, "I used to be a common janitor of the windmill. But later, I found my talent in playing poker. So, I quit my job and started a new life as a gambler."

"I see," Aerith said as she nearly finished eating her toast. "Do you enjoy gambling?"

"Indeed, I do," the gambler answered with a smirk. "I'm quite good at it, too. I was able to make a small fortune by gambling." After finishing his toast, he asked the flower girl, "What about you, pretty lady? Do you enjoy sellin' flowers?"

"Yeah," the Cetra answered with a smile. "I... wasn't really TOO good at selling flowers. I didn't really make that much money out of it." After finishing her toast, she continued, "But, to be honest, it's not the money you make that counts. It's the happiness and joy you get out of it that counts."

"Agreed," Mikau concurred as he drank water from his cup. "I just happened to get happiness, joy, AND money from my job."

"You're just luckier than the flower-selling Aerith Gainsborough," Aerith grumbled as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. _I'm so unlucky... to think that I ended up in a different world_, she thought with a shake of her head. _At least I'm feeling a little better than before._ The Cetra chuckled at the thought.

"What's so funny?" the gambler asked.

"You would not believe me if I said it," the flower girl said.

"Well, try me," the blonde said as he slightly leaned forward. "I'm curious as to what you want to say."

"Well, you see," Aerith began as she tapped her chin, "I think I'm in a different world or dimension."

Mikau became very silent after hearing this statement. Because the front brim of his hat covered his eyes, the brunette was not able to tell what kind of expression the gambler was wearing.

"...You see?" the Cetra commented in defeat. "I told you that it would be hard to believe."

"...No," the blonde said as he looked at Aerith. He then raised the front brim of his hat, revealing a pair of bright, blue eyes. "Your story is not that hard to believe."

Aerith was surprised to see the gambler's blue eyes. However, she was more surprised to hear that he actually believed her. "Then, you believe my story?"

"A little bit," Mikau admitted with a nod. "It's because I believe that there are multiple dimensions in this universe." He turned to the window and saw that the sun was rising on the horizon. "...There is but one of the legends of which the people speak..." he began as he turned back to the brunette.

The flower girl began to listen attentively.

After finishing his glass of water, Mikau began to recite the legend:

"_Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land __blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace._"

"What is this land you are speaking of?" Aerith asked.

"Ancient Hyrule," the gambler answered. "The kingdom, New Hyrule, is named after this ancient kingdom." He then continued.

"_But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself... With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom._

"_But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand, a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend..._"

"Wow," the Cetra wowed with fascination. "That's some boy, if you ask me."

"_But then... a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs._"

"Oh no," the flower girl gasped.

"_The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them... But..._"

Mikau's eyes became mysteriously distant as he paused.

"What? What happened?" the Cetra asked eagerly.

"..._The hero did not appear._"

"...That's not good," Aerith commented grimly as she shook her head.

"_Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate..._

"_The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath..._"

After a short pause, the Cetra asked, "So, what happened after that?"

"The Hero of the Winds emerged," Mikau explained. "He defeated the great evil, but that's another story." He tipped down the front of his hat to cover his eyes again. "There is, however, a very important detail missing in this legend."

"Really?" Aerith asked as she rubbed her chin in thought. "What is it?"

"The Hero of Time was actually sent back in time so that he could have a normal life," the gambler explained. "Do you know what that means?"  
The Cetra tried to think of something, but eventually, she answered, "...No."

"It means that the timeline is splitting into two," the blonde explained. "There is the timeline where the man of great evil was defeated and another timeline where nothing happened and the Hero of Time is starting a normal life."

"...Wait," the flower girl said as she began to put the pieces together. "So, after the Hero of Time defeated the evil man, the 'original' timeline continued on and the 'new' timeline was basically the reset timeline where the Hero of Time lived."

"Precisely," Mikau stated with a smile.

"Oh! Could that also be the reason why the Hero of Time never came back to save the people? He wasn't in that timeline, anyway."

"It's possible," the blonde nodded.

"...Ugh, it's kinda confusing," Aerith mumbled as she clutched her head. "But, I think I get it."

"I'm actually surprised you got this pretty quickly," Mikau admitted, impressed by the flower girl. "Also, to clear things up a bit, Ancient Hyrule is actually under the sea. It was flooded by the goddesses when nothing was able to stop the reemerging evil."

"Oh, I see," the Cetra mumbled as she nodded in fascination. "That means that the Hyrule in the 'new' dimension might be fine."

"...Yes..." the gambler quietly answered.

"Interesting," the flower girl mused out loud.

"All in all," Mikau began again, "a high possibility that alternative dimensions exist is the reason why I believe in your story."

"Thanks for believing me," Aerith said happily.

"But, that means you'll be needing my help," the gambler stated flatly.

"...Eh?" the Cetra spluttered. "Why?"

"You don't even know about our currency," the blonde said as he withdrew a green rupee from his rupee wallet.

"...Oh yeah," the flower girl said gloomily as she realized her predicament.

"Might as well start the lesson now," Mikau began as he placed a green rupee on the table. "This is a green rupee. It is worth -well- one rupee." The gambler then took out a blue rupee and placed it right next to the green one. "The blue one is worth five rupees." He then proceeded to withdraw a yellow, a red, a purple, an orange, and a silver rupee. "A yellow rupee is worth ten. Red is twenty. Purple is fifty. Orange is one hundred. And silver is worth two hundred."

"Hmm," Aerith let out with a nod. "I think I get it."

"Good," Mikau said with an approving nod. "I also want you to know that there are other races in this world."

"Other races?" the Cetra asked with curiosity. "Like what?"

"Well," the blonde said, " there are the ritos, who are basically bird-people."

"Oh wow!" the flower girl exclaimed with excitement. "That's awesome."

"There are the gorons, who are large rock-people. Most of them are merchants, and they are very friendly.

"Gorons: friendly," Aerith noted. "Got it."

"There are moblins, who are big pig-people. Nearly all of them are rude and sometimes hostile. I don't recommend trying to associate with them."

"Moblins: rude and dangerous," the Cetra noted. "Got it."

"That's pretty much all the races you have to know," Mikau finished as he leaned back.

"Thanks for the info," Aerith said with a smile.

"By the way," the gambler began as he inspected the flower girl. "You have to clean yourself sometimes soon."

"...Oh yeah," the brunette mumbled as she looked at herself. She even smelled funny. "But, I don't have money."

"Don't worry about it," Mikau said with a smile as he stood up. "I feel like I'm in the mood of lending otherworld-dwellers a helping hand."

"Heh heh," the flower girl chuckled as she stood up. "I guess I should be thankful."

"You better be," the gambler lightheartedly said as he went to the counter lady.

As Aerith closely followed the blonde, she heard the counter lady say to the gambler, "I hope you had a nice morning break, sweetie." The lady then batted her eyelashes at the man.

_Is that woman flirting with Mikau?_ the Cetra wondered with amusement. _That's interesting._

"Thanks for your services, ma'am," Mikau replied with a smile. "I'll be seeing you later."

"I hope you have a good day!" the counter lady wished out loud.

As the gambler and the flower girl exited the bar, Mikau began, "I'll be taking you to a motel where you can get some rest and clean yourself."

"Isn't that expensive?" Aerith asked. "I don't think that would be cheap."

"Eh, don't worry about money," the gambler said nonchalantly as he walked down the stairs. "Gambling's got me heaps of money."

"How did you get so good and gambling, anyway?" the Cetra inquired as she raised an eyebrow. "As far as I know, most of the people end up losing money."

"Well, I'm not like most of those people," the blonde explained as he walked up the path that lead to the center of the town. "And I just have a natural gift." He then stopped at a three-story-high building next to the windmill. "This is the motel," the gambler said as he entered the building.

"Alright," Aerith said as she followed the man.

Inside the building was a small lobby with a dark wooden floor and gray walls. Behind the wooden receptionist desk stood a short man with brown hair and a long beard. He saw Mikau and said, "Hello, Mikau. I see you brought a new friend along."

"Hello, Allan," Mikau began as he walked up to the receptionist. "She'll be staying here for a day."

Allan turned to see Aerith, who gave him a happy wave.

"Hello, ma'am," he said to the flower girl. "Having a fine day at Windfall?"

"Yes, sir," the Cetra answered with a smile. "But, I did get a little messy as you can tell."

"Don't you worry," Allan said with a wave of his finger. "Our water systems are fully operational. You will have no trouble cleaning yourself here."

"Ahem," the gambler coughed as he caught the receptionist's attention.

"Oh, yes," the receptionist stuttered as he turned to the blonde. "Her room would be number 301," he said as he handed the key to the flower girl. "It is at the third floor."

"Thanks," Aerith said politely as she received the key.

"I hope you enjoy your stay," Allan said before turning to Mikau. "Are you the one paying for this lady?" he asked the blonde.

"Yes, I am," Mikau replied as he pulled out his rupee wallet. "How much?"

"Three hundred rupees," the receptionist said.

"Hmm," the gambler thought out loud as he pulled out a silver rupee and an orange rupee, "that's less than before. Did you cut the price?"

"Indeed, I did," Allan said happily as he walked to a room behind him. "Business has been blooming these days. So, I dropped the price a bit."

"I'm glad you're having a good time," Mikau commented as he handed the rupees to the receptionist. He then turned to the flower girl and said, "Hope you have a good rest, Miss Gainsborough."

"Thank you so much for your help," Aerith replied happily. "Although, I think I'll be needing your help in the near future."

"I'm nearly sure that you will," the gambler commented with certainty. "If you need my help, you can always visit the windmill. I live there."

As the blonde finished his statement, Allan came in with a box. "Here are some spare clothes," he said as he handed the box to the flower girl. "I figured that you'll need them, judging by your look."

"Thanks," Aerith said as she received the box. She then turned to the gambler and said with a smirk, "I'll be visiting the windmill later, so don't get too lonely."

"Heh," Mikau chuckled as he pulled off his hat. "I'll be seeing you soon." He gave a bow and put his hat back on. With that, he made his exit.

The Cetra walked up the stairs with a box of clothes and a key in her hands. When she reached the third floor, the topmost floor of the building, she saw two doors across eachother at the short hallway. The brunette walked down the hallway and looked to the door on her right. _Here's room 301_, she said to herself as she used the key to unlock the door.

Aerith opened the door and entered her room. The place was not too special. There was a wooden floor, gray walls with some paintings of the island hanging on the walls, a closet, a large bed with a green blanket, and a glass door behind the curtains that led to a balcony. A white, wooden door was near the entrance of the room. When the Cetra opened it, she saw a toilet, a sink, and a bathtub. _So, this is the bathroom_, she noted as she closed the door.

The flower girl placed her box on the bed and opened it. She found that the clothes she received were pretty standard. _Just some comfortable pair of white pants and some short-sleeved shirt_, the Cetra thought as she inspected the clothes. The pants were white and made of silk and the shirt was sky blue.

Soon, Aerith entered the bathroom to see herself on the mirror. When she did, she was quite surprised. _Goodness_, the Cetra thought as she looked at herself, _I'm a fright._

Indeed, a completely messy woman was staring right back at the flower girl. Her face was covered in dust and dirt. Aerith's hair was a mess. There were leaves and some small twigs sticking out of her clothes.

Aerith took the dirty ribbon off her hair. When she examined it, she found that a white-green marble-like object was still fastened to it. _Thank goodness_, she sighed in relief. _I still have my White Materia._

She exited the bathroom and placed the ribbon and her White Materia in her box of clothes. The Cetra looked outside the window and saw that it was completely bright outside.

_Well_, Aerith thought as she stretched her arms, _time to wash myself._

* * *

After taking a relaxing bath, Aerith was in her new clothes. _Certainly not my style_, she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror, _but it'll work for now_. Due to the fact that there was no hair dryer in the place, she just decided to let the hair dry on its own and braid it later.

The Cetra lay down on the bed. She looked up at the blank ceiling and fell into a train of thought. _So, I'm not in my world anymore_, the flower girl thought with concern. _And, I'm stuck in this place_.

Normally, Aerith, being a Cetra, was able to communicate with the planet with ease. However, the Cetra was not getting any responses from Gaia when she tried to communicate with it. _I'm definitely far away from Gaia_, the flower girl thought with certainty. _If that's the case, then I can't use my materia here_.

_Speaking of materia..._ The flower girl tried to channel a healing magic to her right hand. As expected, only a small spark came out of her hand. _...I can't use much magic here_, the brunette thought with a frown. _Without being near to Gaia, my powers are next to useless_.

_I need to find a way back home_, Aerith thought with determination. _I need to, or else Sephiroth..._ After shaking her head to clear her head, she decided, _I have to find a way back to those woods. If I can get there, I could go home. _She then chuckled and thought, _Maybe I'll find my Princess Guard along the way._

_But, how will I get there?_ the Cetra wonderedas she continued to stare at the ceiling. _I don't have any of those 'rupees' Mikau mentioned of_. She then sighed and continued, _I guess I'll have to ask Mikau for help. The question is, will he? There are those creepy rumors surrounding that island called 'Forest Haven'._

Aerith only rubbed her head in frustration. After motionlessly staring at the ceiling, she thought, _I wonder how Cloud and the rest are doing? I wonder if they reached the City of the Ancients. Did they encounter Sephiroth?_

Frustrated that her questions remained unanswered, the flower girl closed her eyes. _I hope my friends are safe_, she thought with hope.

Minutes passed and Aerith continued to lie down on the bed. Soon, sleepiness took over. Deciding that she needed some proper rest, the Cetra did not fight her drowsiness and drifted into sleep.

_...Please, be safe, Cloud._


End file.
